


We were LITERALLY born to make history

by FandomTrashcan



Series: How NedCan was born [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: BeNeLux siblings, FACE Family, Fluff and Angst, I'm no expert guys, It's easy, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Why does everyone complain about tagging, slight inaccurate History
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-13 12:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomTrashcan/pseuds/FandomTrashcan
Summary: Matthew got a phone call from Maarten. "Hello, Maarten? What's up?""I just legalized gay marriage.....""You just did what?" Maarten had to be kidding."I legalized gay marriage.... on april fools day.""Why did you do that!?" Matthew was very confused."Just in case people didn't take it well, you know. So we could say, hey, just joking.""Maarten.... WHAT THE HELL!!!"OR how NedCan became an actual and official thing.(I'm now taking requests for this ship. Just saying.)





	1. So we meet again

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the follow up to : "I may have a giant gay crush on my saviour."  
> We will be looking at little moments of Maarten's and Matthew's relation ship as it becomes more serious.  
> From freindship to lovey dovey.
> 
> Most characters from part one will be returning, so look forward to that as well. 
> 
> If you have any headcannons or ideas you want me to feature, leave a comment. I will see if I can do anything with it.
> 
> Happy reading. :)

Maarten was sitting at his desk. The world was slowly going more crazy than ever before. America and Russia started a cold war. And the Blockade in Berlin was pulled up. So tension was rising. 

Maarten wasn’t about to let these two idiots start world war III, so he got together with his siblings to formulate a plan. Anouk (Belgium) wanted to include Francis (France) as well. But if that was the case Maarten insisted that Arthur (England) joined as well. Louis (Luxemburg) was very nervous. The five of them signed the treaty of Brussel. 

But Maarten and Matthew (Canada) made a promise. So after calling around, more people joined in. Alfred (America), Matthew, Portugal, Feliciano and Romano (Italy), Lukas (Norway), Mathias (Denmark) and Iceland all joined the same year. An alliance was formed. It was not perfect and peaceful, like Matt and Maarten wanted. But it was a start. NATO was born.

They had been calling and writing, even with all the chaos going on. Matt was bummed out because his brother was ignoring him. Well, if he wanted to spy on that Russian snowman, let him do that. Matt’s and Francis’ relationship had improved. But Maarten was keeping an eye on the French fry, just in case. 

And that is what happened in the last five years. 

Now he was in a bar with Arthur. After the alliance was formed, they met up more. It was nice to talk to drunk Arthur. All your problems seemed less bad when confronted with sad drunk Arthur. But then there was the problem of hiding his ever growing crush for Matthew. Arthur, as one of Matthew’s former parental figures, would not appreciate that. Also, Mathias was doing the chicken dance in the background. He was plastered. The three of them were feared in the bars of London.

So now he was over at England's house, all of them swearing they would never drink again. They are liars.

___________________lill timeskip_______________________  
He had been trying to reach Matthew, no response. Maybe Arthur knew.  
“Say Arthur, did you hear from Matthew recently? I’ve been trying to call him, but he’s not replying.” Arthur did know they were friends. When he found out he made Maarten take a drug test. He did not want his son to be friends with a druggie. Gee thanks Arthur. For all this trust. 

Arthur looked up from his book. “Yes, I did. He asked me to pass on a massage. He requested that you pay his country a visit. He left a note with more information.” The note just contained a couple boat tickets, a time and a date. That was… suspicious. “Okay this is weird… That’s all he told you?” Mathias came over.  
“Sounds like someone is trying to have a date.” Mathias was smirking, so Maarten gave him a glare. Arthur just choked on his tea. “I hope not. No offence Maarten.” Non taken.  
Mathias was laughing. ”Do you need a wingman, Maarten. I’ve been told i’m good at it.”  
“No.”  
“But……”  
“No.” Mathias was the worst wingman ever. If he just said ‘hey this guy likes you’ and leave you there, that would already be very embarrassing. Instead he said ’hey, this guy wants your dick’ and leave you there.

_________________________1953____________________  
And that’s how Maarten got on a boat to Canada. The reason he did this without further explanation, is because the only one who didn’t know what’s happening was Maarten. And the royal family was enjoying it, laughing behind his back. Ugh. Great. 

Once he got the the main harbor of Canada, Maarten got a colourful smack in the face. Tulips? What? People were cheering and waving flowers around. “SO, what is happening.”  
the captain answered, “Apparently they made a festival about the tulips the Netherlands keeps sending them. This is the official start of a tradition.” He gave him a big smile.  
“And it had to be a secret because…..?”  
“Matthew asked me to keep it a secret.” Oh, Matt was involved in this. Of course. Suddenly he pressed a bouquet in his hands. “At least give him this.” Alrighty then. Let’s go, weird captain dude.

He was so busy looking around that he didn’t notice Matthew until he was being squeezed to death. “Maarten!”  
“Hey, Matthew. Great to see you again. Please let me go, I can’t breath. Also, what is all this?” Matthew had the biggest smile on his face.  
“The government decided that we should celebrate a bond between countries. This is what you get for sending me flowers every year.” Haha, Matt actually surprised him. And he looked so damn proud of himself. It was adorable. Matt was an adorable marshmallow.  
“So we meet again, my friend.” He handed him the bouquet. Matthew smiled at him. Yay.

And now they were walking around the city Ottawa. First they had a formal lunch with some of the leaders of Canada. It was…… very formal. So the only thing Maarten could do was insulting everyone in Dutch under his breath. Matt caught on though and smacked him on the head afterwards. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice. You are terrible. Do you want to embarrass me?” Matthew kept at it for a while, with his angry pouty face.  
“I’m sorry Matthew, but those guys were really boring. It was all I could do the preserve my sanity.” Matt laughed.  
“You big weirdo. Let’s go and enjoy the festival, alright?”

They went to the festival in the city after that. Just the music, the people, everything. It was so happy. There were some bands playing. also a lot of street artists came to the streets to perform. The atmosphere was very pleasant. 

Unfortunately he could only stay this day, so he was going to make this day epic. They were running around like little children. It was amazing. They kinda skipped lunch and ate pancakes instead…. Okay. 

“Hey, Maarten?” They were sitting on a little wall, looking at the people around them.  
“Yes?” Matthew was staring ahead.  
“Do you enjoy being here…?” What kind of question was that? Of course he enjoyed being here. “Where is this coming from? Of course I enjoy being here. But to be honest and to be cheesy, if it was anyone else with me…. Not as fun. Got that, ya dweeb.” Matt was laughing.  
“Hehe, yea okay. Got it. Thanks.”  
“For what, speaking my mind. Most people curse me for doing that.”  
Now they were both laughing. It was silly.

Once again it was time to leave. Ugh. Matthew looked as sad as Maarten felt. He really hated that they lived so far apart, an ocean separating them on both sides. Well thankfully they had phones and paper. “I really dislike saying goodbye, knowing it will be forever until  
I see you again.” Matthew nodded.  
“Same here, it sucks. But hey, at least we are doing better than most other countries.” Maarten snorted. “Are you suggesting that we have no issues because we don’t see each other often enough?”  
“NO! not at all. Well, have a save trip, Maarten”  
Maarten kissed Matthew’s cheeks. Thankfully Matt didn’t know that was for greetings only… Boy, if he found out. That would be problematic.

Until we meet again.


	2. Empires fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey
> 
> School can be a nuisance when trying to satesfy you need to write.
> 
> Here is Maarten as a mess and Matthew as the source of comfort.
> 
> Maarten has a breakdown, just so you are warned.
> 
> Happy reading

_____________We are going back in time to 1949__________________

Matthew had been sleeping peacefully. Had been, he got woken up by his phone ringing in the hallway. The floor was freezing, the person calling better have something important to say. The phone was still ringing. Uhhhhhhhhgggg.

“Hello, who decided to call at this hour? Oh sorry, this is Matthew.” All he heard was someone trying, and failing, to silence their sobs. “H-hh-hey, thi-i-is is Maar-rten. S-sorry for calling i-in this late.” What was going on. Matt could hear Maarten crying, but trying to hold the tears back. ”Oh my god, Maarten. What happened? Are you okay? You know what, don’t answer that last one. What happened?

“Uhm, ju-u-ust… Uh… Want-t-t-ted to call and see ho-ow you were doing.” Yea, that’s clearly not true. Matthew wasn’t an idiot. But forcing Maarten to tell what was going on immediately would not work out.   
“Well, alright. Stuff has been pretty crazy over here. My brother Alfred has an argument with Russia. They are now spying on each other, but you knew that already right? I heard about the Brussels treaty. That’s a start isn’t it? I’ve been trying to get Alfred to join, but it’s slow progress. One day we’ll be there.” He could he Maarten’s irregular breathing.   
“Y-y-yea….? T-that great-t-t. I-i-i hope you convince that stu-u-uborn mule.” Maarten sounded terrible…. “Yea, I hope so too.”  
“H-h-hey, thanks for talking t-to me. I’m going back t-t-to hang up-p now. Buh *sigh* bye.”  
“Bye, Maarten talk to you later.”   
Matthew went back to bed after that, but he just kept thinking about the phone call. He must have fallen asleep at some point, because he woke up. Falling asleep is kind of essential to that. He started on breakfast, replaying the conversation in his head. Sounded like some shit went down at Maarten’s place. If it was related to Maarten’s personal life, he just had to wait until Maarten told him. If it had to do with Maarten’s country… 

“Alfred…...!!!!!” Damnit quiet voice.  
“WHAT???!!!” Oh, he heard, great. Matthew went to the source of the shout. “Hey, Al?”  
“Sup? You called?” He was eating a burger… At nine in the morning.  
“Well, I just got a call from the Netherlands. He sounded upset. Do you know what’s going on?” Oh, shit. He didn’t tell Al about Maarten and their weird…. friendship yet.  
“Oh, you know him. When did you two meet. Oh hold on, during the war right? When you tried to be awesome like me. And almost died.” He did not almost die thankyouverymuch.   
“Yes, that’s when we met.”  
“But why would he call you of all people? But anyway. From what I heard Indonesia finally got the courage to fight for independence. She is no longer his colony.”   
“Thanks, Al.” 

Well, that explained a lot. Also, typical Alfred. He did not seem to get that a colony leaving hurt. Then again, as a colony himself, Matthew could not fully grasp it either. From what Arthur told him, it felt like your arm was ripped off. That must be terrible. He saw the state Arthur was in after the war. Guess who had to put him back together. Matthew, not that he minded. Arthur saw him ten times more than most people, after all. 

So he called Maarten. He just had to do something. *beep* “Hello?” Maarten still sounded terrible. “ Hey, Maarten. It’s Matthew. I heard about what happened, so I wanted to make sure you’re…. not dying.” That was a stupid way to start this….  
“ I see. Well… I’m not doing great, to be honest. But i’ll be fine.” Liar.  
“You don’t sound fine. It sounds like you’re about to cry again.”   
“Yes, just crush my fragile masculinity. *sigh*. I guess i’m just kind of…. feeling like I screwed up…. again.” Again?   
“Well, it’s not weird that you care.”  
“I still should have stopped my government. The people didn’t care, the government wanted the ’rebellion’ squashed. And now Indonesia, that’s her new name, hates me. And I knew this would happen, because we are FUCKING COUNTRIES and we want our freedom and independence.” Maarten was talking faster and faster. “IT JUST SUCKS. We are all countries and we know how much the shit we do to each other hurts, but we FUCKING DO IT ANYWAY. BECAUSE WHY NOT. LET’S RUIN THE LIVES OF OUR ONLY FRIENDS. I don’t want this to happen every time…. I hurt so many… of her people.” *sobbing*

Maarten started sobbing now. Matthew just whispered words to him, hoping they helped. That all he could do really, with an ocean between them… So he just whispered little kind words to Maarten. 

They stayed like that for the rest of the day. Alfred walked in at some point, but Matthew’s stare of ‘not now, fuck off’ scared him away. After a while Maarten calmed down  
“Thanks, Matthew. I don’t know if you know what this means to me, but it means a lot.”  
“Anytime Maarten, anytime. You’ll be okay.”  
“I just might be. In time…. ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guy, been a while.  
> School is kicking my ass with homework and projects, so uploeads are slowed down. Fucking stupid articles.
> 
> I hoped you liked this chapter of Matthew trying to help Maarten, even though he has no real clue of how it feels. Anyway, If you have any headcannons, tell my. I want to keep writing about these two for a while, but I need more material. 
> 
> If you spotted a mistake, tell me please
> 
> Feedback is appreciated and I like comments.


	3. Let's go on a fucking date!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone ready for intentionally out of character Matthew.
> 
> The poor boy is tired. Let him sleep.
> 
> Happy reading. :D

____________________1955____________________  
Okay, soooo……. Matthew wasn’t entirely sure….. how he got into this situation…..

They were scheduled to have a NATO meeting. But half the people who were meant to show up, didn’t. Great.

The ones that did arrive: Him (Matthew), Maarten, Anouk, Alfred, Louis, Francis, Arthur and Feliciano (North-Italy). That meant Portugal, Romano (South-Italy), Mathias (Denmark), Norway and Iceland didn’t show up. (any names you want for the unnamed ones? Lemeno)

That lead to Francis, Arthur and Alfred arguing in the corner. Italy and Louis were being oblivious to the fight going on. And Anouk was talking very intensely to Maarten about something and Maarten shouted something at her in Dutch. And he was so tired that he could fall asleep on the spot. He had been awake for three days straight. His judgement skills were a little impaired at this point. So the day was going great…. 

Arthur had actually left the fight and came over to Matthew. “They really need to learn when to shut their mouths, those idiots.” True, but that goes for Arthur himself as well. He was just happy to have a distraction.

Anouk shoved Maarten over to them. “Excuse me, Maarten has something he wanted to ask Matthew.” Maarten looked…… a mix of scared and confused. He looked over at them.  
“I’m just as confused about all this as you are. Anouk what the hell do you want me to do?” Anouk responded in Dutch.

“Vraag hem uit eten. Kom op, dit is niet zo lastig als je het maakt. (Ask him out for dinner. Come on, It’s not as hard as you’re making it out to be)” What the hell was she saying? Whatever it was, it turned Maarten into a tomato. “Laat me met rust, ga naar Louis. (Leave me alone, go talk to Louis.) So, hey. Uhm, Matthew. Iwantedtoaskifyouwantedtohavedinnerwithme.” Uhm, what? 

Suddenly, Anouk came back and pulled Arthur along. ”Excuse me, where are you taking me?” Arthur looked more confused be the minute and Matthew felt his sanity slip even more.  
“Tea break.” Arthur looked very startled.

Matt turned to Maarten. “So, you said something. Try slower this time, alright?” Maarten was blushing. It was pretty cute, so Matthew gave him one of his last patient smiles. “I was asking if you wanted to go for dinner, with me. We are in Brussel after all. I know the city pretty well. So… if you wanted to….?” 

Maarten just asked him out for dinner. Maarten. Just asked him. Out for. Dinner. “Uhm sure…. Is anyone else coming along?”

“Not that I know of. Anouk is dragging the French fry and Louis all over the city. Arthur is going to a bar with Alfred, so that will be a disaster. You could ask Feli along, if you want to.” 

In the end Feli went along with Anouk, wanting to sightsee. So it was just him and Maarten. Going to have dinner. Together…. The day just got a little better…..

To be honest the thing was a little awkward. Mainly because somehow everyone else was there too. Anouk and her group ended up here as well. And Arthur and Alfred were sitting at the bar present at the restaurant. And they were all staring at the two of them with great interest. Maarten didn’t seem to care, aside from the glare he sent to Anouk and Louis after they shouted something in Dutch. The bartender and their server broke out in laughter. 

“What did they say?” Maarten the tomato was back. He sent another death glare to Anouk and Louis. “They are just being rude, don’t worry about it. I hope you are enjoying yourself, despite the awkwardness of having a group of stalkers.” Maarten gave him a little hidden smile. It was clear the others were getting on his nerves. “I am. But… once we finish our food, let’s get out of here alright? They… are still staring.” Matthew was so tired. And done with today.

The waitress came over with the bill. “So, I had to ask. Those people over there insinuated you two were on a date. And I got curious, so… are you?” What? Uhm? Matthew was very confused. Just what was happening? Maarten spoke up. “Please ignore the people sitting over there. They are just a bunch of weird stalkers.” The waitress looked disappointed.  
“Awh, too bad. You two would make such a cute couple.” And que Francis choking on a drink in the background. Alfred looks ready to storm over and smack someone. Anouk and Feli are watching with sparkles in their eyes…. This is so…. embarrassing.

Matt turned to the waitress. “We are just friends, close friends.” And now Alfred and Francis are coming over. Francis hugs Matthew. “After all, my Matthieu wouldn’t go on a date with someone as bland as Pays-Bas.” Alfred is interjecting as well. “As if I would let my brother date the local drug addict. Come on.” Alfred was now also hanging on to Matthew, it is annoying. Francis walked over to Maarten. “I mean, look at him. Clearly not fit for Matthieu.” Uhg, they had been doing this all dinner. Coming up to them. Talking. Interrupting their conversation. And Matthew had about enough.

“Can you two leave, we are talking to … Natasha. Not to you two. And if you want to know, I think Maarten is plenty suitable as a boyfriend.” Why. THE HELL. did he say that? Everyone was looking at him now. Well, that was new. Alfred looked kind of weirded out. “Uhm, dude? You know how that sounded right?” Yes, he was very much aware of how that sounded and what implications were behind it. Francis butted in as well. “I’ve told you before, you can do better. But you didn’t really appreciate it last time.”  
“Then why are you repeating yourself. I thought we talked about this….” Francis gave him a look. “Alright, I leave you two alone now. Non-pay, don’t assault my child.”Francis left after that, Thank the lord, but Alfred stayed.

“I still think this is weird.” Matthew stood up.  
“No, it’s not. I happen to enjoy his company. It is fun, random and weird, but so nice as well. It’s not like you know, because you never talk to him. So don’t get over here and start shit!”  
“Wow, calm down, Mattie.” Alfred looked taken aback. But then again, Matthew was acting very out of character. 

“I will not! Can everybody just back off and let us do stuff together without stalking us! That goes for you Anouk! I know you followed us on purpose!” Anouk was giving them an awkward smile. “Uhm , Maarten…. Matthew. calm down….” It was only now that Matthew noticed Maarten had smacked his face into his plate and was mumbling profanities. Well then. Matthew glared at about everyone in the room. 

And now this random old guy stood up. “You twooooo are sinner. You will burn in hell.” Okay that pissed Matthew off. “Shut it. Whatever we are doing is non off your business. Whether we are friends or more, is not something for you to worry about, random old guy.” Anouk and Arthur were just looking at the scene, confused. Francis and Alfred made the decision to stay out of it for now. Louis and Feli were…. Gone, outside probably. The waitress was enjoying this…. Uhg. Matthew and the guy had a little shouting match in the restaurant. At some point the staff got involved and threatened to throw all of them out for causing a ruckus. But he wasn’t done yet!

“Why do you guys care so much anyway. If we want to go on a date, we’ll go on a fucking date. Maarten!” Maarten got the worst of the food of his face and looked at him. “What.”  
Matthew paid Natasha and grabbed Maarten’s hand. “You know what, I don’t care anymore. I’m done. I have a jetlag. Everyone is being stupid. Not you Maarten you’re fine. I think i’m drunk on lack of sleep. I’M DONE. Maarten, let’s go on a FUCKING date!” 

“Wait what!?”

And now they were walking through the city, looking for something to do. Maarten managed to clean his face. They left the rest of the group at the restaurant. Maarten made him sit down on a bench. “Dude, are you okay?”  
“I’m…! Not okay! I feel like i’m about fall over. ooow, my head. Sorry….”  
“Alright, i’m taking you back to the hotel. You are such a weirdo…. What were you thinking. This is not the time or the place to say stuff like that…. You should know that. Also, it’s impressive how quickly you spiraled out of control. You looked fine at the meeting.”

Back at the hotel Matthew fell on the bed. Maarten looked annoyed. “At least change into your nightclothes.” So he did. Maarten looked very concerned. “Are you high or something?”  
“Nah…..Sorry.” Well, that was the best response ever. Maarten looked even more concerned.  
“Well…. there’s no way I can leave you alone now…. And… don’t worry about it. I’m going to read my book. Scoot over, paasei.” Maarten sat next to Matthew, who was lying face-first on the bed. He groaned. Maarten laughed. “Yes, you’re okay. go to sleep.”  
“ HHHmmmMMFFRRMMMmmmsssoooooyyy….” He grabbed maarten and buried his face in Maarten’s stomach. “Just what do you think you’re doing…. Go to sleep.” Maarten was laughing. 

Matt fell asleep shortly after that. They didn’t get to have their date. Damn it…

The next morning he spent twenty minutes apologizing to everyone, multiple times. And assuring Alfred that, no, they weren’t dating. Making sure that Francis knew that he wasn’t mad at him. And lastly, making sure Louis didn’t hear anything he wasn’t supposed to hear. He was really embarrassed. Stupid jetlag and insomnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, been a while.
> 
> Okay so, I have a sucky immune system. I have been sick for a while and really didn't feel up to writing. This will happen more often. But don't worry, once I start a story I will complete it.
> 
> Anyway, we are starting to get to the NedCan stuff. Building up to the summary. Just so you know. The Netherlands legalized gay marriage in 2001, as the very first. Woop, woop.
> 
> Anyone got names for the now unnamed new countries in the story? 
> 
> I just imagine Louis' fysical age to be 14/15 and Anouk 17/18. Maarten and Matthew are around 23, but you can leave it up the your imagination, as it doesn't really affect the story.  
> The next chapter will be a little short.....
> 
> Anyway, feedback is appriciated and I like comments.


	4. Even the birds don't care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back. WAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHA. HA. Ha....  
> Anyway, it being christmas and all, this chapter is a little short. I hope all of you had a nice christmas, whether you celebrate it or not. Oh, and have a happy new year too :D.
> 
> This chapter is a little bit of a filler. A stepstool to the good shit.
> 
> Happy reading. :D

___________Maarten is feeling sassy, let’s see whats up______________--

So…. a little backstory….   
The separation in Berlin and the Berlin wall. That stupid thing got built in 1961. Because people from the east wanted to go to the west and vise versa. And America and Russia couldn’t work their shit out. So to keep people where they were, they built the wall. Because that works and doesn’t cause people to try and climb the fucking thing. 

Maarten just couldn’t phantom how they thought this would work. He was on the phone with Matthew. “Like what do they think is gonna happen. People are going to be people. Stubborn as fuck. And let’s not forget what they are doing to their fellow nation. Look, I know Ludwig fucked up, but jesus christ. This is unnecessary and just cruel.” He may or may not have been ranting about this for about two hours…. Matthew had been listening…. probably. 

“Yes, it’s bad. No, it’s not going to work. Dude, we have been on the phone for three hours. It’s expensive and I have stuff to get done. It’s four in the morning over here. I’m tired, Maarten. Please let me go to sleep. It’s been three hours. I’ve been up since one. I’m so tired.” Woops, He didn’t think about the time zones. Also, last time Matthew was tired everyone suffered.

“Sorry….Goodnight, my friend.”  
“Good. Night.  
Go. to. sleep.”

_____________Breaking the walls down, To 1990______________

Maarten was in Berlin, visiting Ludwig for very good reasons. first off, to try and restore their sibling relationship, not the easiest thing to do, so they were both stubborn as shit. It had been long enough, so he should at least try. Second off, the Berlin wall was going down. The gates had opened two years ago, which was amazing, but now it was time to destroy it. 

He wasn’t the only one that came by to help. Arthur was there, so was Anouk, Louis, Feliks (Poland), Toris (Lithuania) and Gilbert (Prussia). Somehow Gilbert was still here, even though The country he represents doesn’t exist anymore…. So yeah. 

And now they were just picking away at the wall. It was a slow progress, because America and Russia got a little carried away. You know, iron and stone mixed together, barbed wire and just to many obstacles. But the atmosphere was strangely pleasant. They had time to talk things over while being sweaty, because deconstructing walls is hard work. Everyone was trying to work though the wall and their issues. Louis, the little adorable shit, threw water over everyone to cool them down. Yea…. because working in wet clothes was great….. Note the sarcasm here. Louis acted like a little kid, but was REALLY successful, economy wise. Maarten was a proud older brother.

Maarten looked up for a second. Heh. Bird were flying over the wall, without a care in the world. If only people were more like birds, just sometimes. The birds didn’t care about any borders they built. And they never would. 

Now it was evening. Outside people were partying on the half destroyed wall. The music was kind of loud. Partying on the wall was a new thing with the kids, or something. Well, once they finished breaking it down, the quiet could return to the night. 

Maarten was staying in the room provided by Ludwig. He had smiled awkwardly at Maarten’s blunt question, on if he regretted everything he fucked up. He really should have phrased that better. How was he so good with people, but so, SO bad with people. Now he was lying down on the bed. It had been a long time since the war. 45 years, such a long time. And only now, the effect of the war started to lessen. Of course, they could never truly forget, but it was something at least. It had been a long couple of days too. With traveling and you know, breaking down the wall.

He promised to call Matthew today. They called each other every friday or saturday, depending on who was busy on what day. The conversations were nice. They stopped writing because it took too much time. Not counting birthday and valentines cards of course. Yes they wrote each other valentine cards. No, it wasn’t weird. Shut up, don’t judge. 

“Hello, Matthew here…..Maarten?” Awh he guessed who called him.   
“Hey Matt, how are you doing.” He heard Matthew standing up. Was it weird that he noticed that Matthew paced during phone calls? They called too often. “I’m great actually. Have you heard, the spying between Russia and Alfred is slowly reaching its end. So he’s been coming over more often. It’s really nice.” Matt sounded really happy. This was great. He tried not to let it show, but his brother’s ignorant behaviour toward him was hurting him, just a bit. He hated being ignored, for obvious reasons. “That’s amazing, so have you watched any shitty movies with him?”   
“Oh yea…. They are weird. Where are you right now by the way? I tried to call to your house, but no one answered.” 

Oh right, he didn’t tell Matt about the wall yet. “Well you know how they opened up the wall. Me and some other guys came around to destroy it. We’ve been picking at stone all day. I’m all sweaty now, so I was going to take a shower. But decides to call you first.”  
“What? I could have helped you know….” Matthew sounded like a sad puppy. Maarten hated it when Matt sounded like a sad puppy. Matt being sad made everyone else sad as well. 

“I knew you were really busy, running a country and all. With the extra work coming your way, recently. Sorry.”   
“No, it’s okay. You are right, if I traveled with this amount of work, I would go insane.”  
“*snort* Yup, you would. Wouldn’t want a repeat of the jetlag incident.” 

Someone knocked on the door.

“Oh, hold on. Someone knocked. Let me just get that. I’ll be right back okay.”  
“Go open the door, you dork.” He heard Matthew snort. It was adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooooooo. That was a thing.
> 
> The title is a refrence to an old Dutch song: "Over de muur" Or over the wall, in English. It's about how it shouldn't matter where you live and that nobody wants the wall to exist. After all, even the birds don't care. It's one of the songs composed when the cold war was coming to an end and everyone was holding their breaths, in hopes of a good ending. I quite like it, but it;s Dutch and almost nobody outside of the netherlands speaks dutch..... so yea....
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will be a new perspective. Go ahead and guess. He is my favorite character from the main 8.
> 
> Feedback is appriciated and I like comments.


	5. Enter Arthur, stage right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone guessed, but Arthur is my favorite character in Hetalia. Although.... I think every character in Hetalia is great in their own way.
> 
> Last thing: In the fic, magic is real and Arthur is not crazy. But because it doesn't play a big role, you could also see it as not real, I guess. I really like Magical Arthur.
> 
> Happy reading :D

So…. Arthur tried his best to be a good father. America was a child that demanded a lot of his time and attention (He still did as an adult, the twat.). He was careless and loud. At first this wasn’t a problem. He was good at dividing his time for all his colonies. Australia was also loud and a real prankster when he was little ( His pranks involved snakes and spiders, lovely). Egypt was already an adult. Officially, at least. He liked playing with the other colonies on christmas, even if he didn’t really celebrate the holiday (and it was so adorable). New Zealand wasn’t….. Meant….. to happen. Don’t misunderstand, the little one was quite adorable. He just seemed to hate England, or something…. He wasn’t too sure. (It was kind of sad that he could really grow as a country.) Zambia was just cute…. And then she grew up and became terrifying. He still loved the kid anyway.

There were many others and he loved them all.

And after a long argument with francis, that may or may not involved guns… and swords, he met Matthew. The boy was incredibly sweet, but also incredibly quiet. And could turn invisible…. At first Arthur thought he was just a bad parent, not noticing one of his kids. And maybe he was, if he was actually crazy like everyone said. But he believed in magic, so….. it might go a little further than bad parenting. (Magic)

This didn’t stop him from feeling terrible when he finally did notice Matthew. The boy was always so happy to be included. So Arthur tried to do the best he could. Even if it wasn’t enough, even in his own eyes. 

Alfred and Matthew were happy to be reunited. Matthew had nightmares sometimes, Alfred comforted him with his weird attitude. Arthur doubted the dolt knew what he was doing though. And Matthew somehow….. reeled Alfred in a little bit. It was nice seeing them together. Arthur liked reading stories to the both of them. They loved the fairy tales.

In the first world war, oh my lord. He remembered the look on Francis’ face. The surprise, oh, it was amazing. He made sure to teach all his colonies to defend themselves (bit him in his arse during the revolutionary war). So Matthew was a secret polite asskicking Canadian, who cared a little to much about the world’s problems. 

And then world war II rolled around. In Arthur’s eyes it had been unavoidable. Canada split off from their group to go and save the Netherlands. Arthur sent some troops with him, just in case.

In the past Arthur used to stay with his mom Britannia, but he did meet his…. siblings? Anouk and Maarten were weird. Louis wasn’t born….? yet. And they had a few dinners together…. Maarten made him pay for everything…. He was always impressed with their resilience. Maarten living under ocean level, Anouk fighting for independence without shattering the bond with her brother, Louis existing at all. They stuck together. 

He got a few letters from Matthew about their process. He read the letter from Matthew about meeting Maarten. He read it three times. The frog didn't see what he saw and that bastard calls himself a love master. But Arthur wasn’t an idiot. He read every letter afterwards, multiple times. He was sure of it, Matthew was interested in Maarten, the country below sea level. Clues were in the third letter after he presumably met Maarten. Let Arthur read you… an excerpt, from Matthew’s letter.

 

“He is ridiculously tall. It’s really intimidating.”

“He is quite the weird person. He tried to explain how he is living below ocean level and compared it to a monument, but the monument was on fire and people were screaming, constantly.”

“Stew is weird, but he seems to like it. I’m trying to understand why he praises it so much”

“For such an intimidating guy, he’s really nice. He cheered a little girl up by giving her a piggyback ride. He is starving but giving children piggyback rides!”

“Kind of wondering how he is walking around at all, let alone firing a gun and hitting targets.”

“What am I doing with my life. This report was supposed to be about our progress.”

 

No progress was mentioned. The whole letter was on: soup, Maarten, stew, Maarten cheering the girl up, the shite weather, the clouds, Maarten talking about the mentioned clouds and well…. Maarten.

So Arthur was sure something was happening. Knowing Matthew, he didn’t notice. Knowing Maarten (kind of, they were …...siblings……?), he also didn’t notice. They were dense in their own ways. Maarten ignored most social clues and Matthew was shy. 

He got a phone call from Matthew in March of 1945.”Hello.”  
“Ah Arthur, this is Matthew. Uhm, I wanted to ask you something. You remember all the stuff with gardening you taught me?” He remembered the time he tried to teach them and America ate all the bulbs….” Yes I do. Are you finally going to work in your garden. I remember it being quite bare during my last visit.” He heard Matthew trying to string words together. ”Uhm so, what do you know about planting tulips…. And the weather they can survive in.” Tulips?

“Just tulips? May I ask where this is coming from?” Matthew mumbled.  
“Marsemetups….” Uhm…. Okay?  
“What was that? Could you repeat that? And a little louder.” He could hear Matthew sigh.

“Maarten send me a hundred thousand flowers…..” WHAT!!! MAARTEN DID WHAT!!! Arthur was ready for a lot of answers, but this. “Excuse me. Maarten sent you…. how many?”  
“A hundred thousand tulip bulbs.” Arthur snorted. If anything proved his theory, it was this.  
“Please don’t laugh at me. I have no clue what to do with them. How do you even plant them? Will they survive winter or do they come back? I don’t know. Also, I told you Maarten is a tall, intimidating, angry-looking guy. He send me flowers as a freaking thank you, pardon my language. But flowers are one of the cutest thing you can send someone, even though they are still bulbs. There was a beautiful bouquet with the shipment. With such a sweet note too. He is such a dork, how is he such a dork?. What the hell am I going to do with this many bulbs. ”

Awh, he was rambling. “Well, The tulip is a flower that’s quite easy to take care of. It can withstand a large amount of rain. Drought is less easy for them. They die off in winter, but there is a chance some grow back. You just dig a hole and put them in. I have to warn you though, planting that many bulbs takes a toll on you back.”

“Alright, thank you so much.” 

And that wasn’t the last he heard about Maarten. Apparently, Matthew went to one of Anouk’s family dinners. He didn’t have time to go, work was kicking his arse. He got a call from Anouk, telling him about the phone call Matthew had with Francis. He saw red.

*Beep* *Beep* “Bonjour.”   
“Hello Francis. It’s been awhile since we spoke. You have you been.”  
“Oh, uhm, hello. I’ve been grea…..”  
“To be honest I don’t care about how you’ve been. I just got a phone call from Anouk, you know, my sister. About a phone call you had with my kid in which you basically told him, the sweet and shy Matthew, he was a attention whore. WHAT THE HELL, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON! He already is scared he is asking for too much! And then you go ahead and make it worse just because he doesn’t agree with you!” Francis tried to interrupt at least four times, but Arthur was not having it. But now he finally succeeded. “Would you just let me…”  
“Shut your mouth. ‘This is not about any of that. We can argue about that later. You just made a fucking mistake, go and fix it. You have a phone call to make.” 

“If you would let me finish. Yes thank you. I already called him. I made sure to apologise.” Oh. Well. He was an idiot. “Well, I just wanted to be sure.”  
“I get it, for once. You need to remember, it was me who got the macaroni card on father’s day.” Oh he didn’t.  
“Well, I got the number one dad coffee mug. So there.” Nevermind that he only drank tea…..  
“But I got a knitted scarf. So far I got the handmade presents.”  
“Remember who taught him how to knit, frog? I did, because you broke your leg, somehow, and needed someone to check up on him.” He never figured out how Francis broke his leg....  
“Uhm, I fell. Somewhere. Doing a thing.”  
“Yes I figured that much. Anyway, I’m glad you at least think about the feelings of some people….”   
“Now what is that supposed to mean?”  
“Good evening, frog.”

Huh, so that was that. He just made a fool of himself. His favorite. The frog would bring this up every time they would meet, he was sure of it. Bollocks. 

__________We are going back to the Berlin wall________

Arthur had been picking at the wall the whole day. Somehow it had been pleasant, with everyone together. Germany seemed uncomfortable at first, but once they started working it got better. His siblings…..? were being little shits. Maarten was staring off into space (ignoring everyone and everything), Anouk was bothering everyone (EVERYONE), and Louis decided to throw water over everyone (this included him). 

In the evening he went to make sure everyone was doing fine. No one really knew he did this (kind of everytime there was a chance someone had a bad day. His biggest concern for today was Ludwig), but he….. Was a parent and brother. It’s just what he did, even if most people couldn’t stand him. It was the only way people would let him help. Nobody trusted him after the whole British empire thing. 

He was going over to Maarten’s room. He could hear Maarten talk really, uncharacteristically, excited. He knocked. He could hear him come over. “Hold on, someone knocked on the door. Oh, hello Arthur. I’m on the phone, would you mind waiting?”   
“No not at all. Who is on the phone.” He had a idea, but he wanted to be sure.  
“Matthew. Oh, yes, it was Arthur who knocked. No, he doesn’t mind. I told you he was here too didn’t I? Oh, well damn. Sorry.” It was kind of interesting to watch. Maarten’s posture was more relaxed. And he was making movements with his hand while talking. Arthur knew he didn’t usually do that. 

Eventually, after an hour or so, Maarten hung up. “Sorry about that, but we were calling before you came here and it seemed rude to just hang up.” Arthur smirked.  
“Oh, so this has nothing to do with who was on the other side of the line?”  
“Uhm, no.” Okay, yes it did. It was all over his face.  
“Maybe it’s time for another drug test. I go one from the store on the way here, you were spacing out during the day.”   
“Are you ever going to let that one time go? I was little and got high. Stop it.”  
“Ne. Ver.” It was their inside joke. 

They were talking for most of the evening after that. It was nice to just talk to someone who didn’t hate him for everything he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a couple things. You might have noticed Arthur doesn't think to highly of himself. I imagine this is a consequence of being an empire, who most countries despised.... It's kind of sad, really.  
> Also, i've watched to much supernanny....So now I can't help but imagine Arthur as a great parent. Even if he doesn't think so.
> 
> Another thing. While Arthur had Brittania and Ludwig and Gilbert had Germania, Maarten and Anouk kind of raised each other. And then Louis was there as well. So that's why they stick together, they don't know differently.
> 
> And that was that. I hope you all liked it.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated and I like comments :)


	6. Another tulip festival, with everyone else there….Yay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew is so done with everyones shit, secretly of course.
> 
> Happy reading :D

______________1991_______________

So, Matthew was not having the best day. He tried to hide it, because he was trying to have fun. Somehow everyone he knew was at the tulip festival, somehow. This sucked, because he had been looking forward to spending it with Maarten for the first time in four years. But no, he was stuck guiding everyone around, showing them the best places and keeping everyone in line. This was fine, he just wanted to talk to Maarten as well. And Anouk, Louis, and Arthur. But the four of them went off on their own, in a little group. Arthur went with them to keep Anouk out of trouble, she was more reckless nowadays. She seemed to try and do something, but failing at whatever she cooked up. In her last sceme, she screamed “Matchmaker” off the top of her lungs, standing on a ladder with a bucket of water. She fell. She was clearly planning something. He wished the best of luck to the people she was trying to get together.

Anyway, he was giving a tour to Francis, who was keeping him sane at this point, Alfred, who had become an escape artist, Kiku (Japan), Yao (China), Ivan (Russia), Feli (North italy), Romano (south Italy), Antonio (spain), Ludwig, Gilbert and Mathias.

So the day was going great, note the sarcasm. Everyone was too loud (with the exception of Kiku and Ludwig) and he couldn’t keep track of all of them. So when one person disappeared, everyone had to go and look for them and another person got lost. It happened so often that Matthew had tied Alfred to himself, just in case. Even though he was still disappearing, somehow…..“And here we are. We are going to take a break in this little…. square. Everyone stay closeby please, or risk the chance of us leaving without you.” He untied Alfred and walked to the quiet part. 

Finally…. some peace….. He sat down on a bench, he could join the fun in a bit. Ludwig came up to him and sat down as well. “Hello. You look a little tired.” Haha, he was dead inside at this point. “I’ll be okay, thanks.” They had been doing this for THREE hours. He was pretty sure he broke, somewhere along the way. Now he was trying to avoid another episode like when he had that bad jetlag and no sleep. Ludwig was a good distraction though. He turned back to Matthew. “So, I wanted to know, how did all this get started?” Oh, he thought everyone knew how this came to be (no one really know, except for Matthew and Maarten). “Well, It kind of started with Maarten sending me flowers as a thanks for the help… during world war II. And then I got more flowers from his royal family. And they have been sending me tulips every year.”

“How many did you get?”  
“Uhm, hold on. (Mumbeling) First a hundred thousand. Then 45 years ten thousand. Plus 25 thousand and something…… About 575 thousand tulip bulbs and 70 bouquets. Yea…. that seems right.” Maarten gave him two bouquets once or twice. He looked back over to Germany. His jaw had hit the ground. He looked…… shocked. “Uhm, are you okay.”

“And you are trying to tell me that Maarten, basically, paid for 575 thousand tulip bulbs and 70 fancy bouquets?”  
“I…. yea….?” He was a little confused. Why….. did this matter?  
“You know Maarten made me pay for every family dinner I attended. Me or Arthur. He never buys anything without making a profit. It just seemed weird that he would put so much effort into a thank you. He must like you.” Oh…. OH! Wow. How does one respond to that.   
“Uhm…. thank you. I don’t really see how him sending flowers as a thanks is related to liking me, but thank you.” He was really confused. And…. flattered. He actually felt really flattered.

“Tulips, and flowers in general, are one of the main sources of income Maarten has. And that he would send you a gift like that, so soon after the war when his country was still in shambles……. It just seems like you left an impression.” He looked sad. Talking about the war must be hard, even after all this time. Matthew didn’t blame him.

“I guess I did. Hm. Oh, I wanted to ask, Maarten mentioned another family dinner. Were you invited as well?”  
“Ja, I was. Arthur is coming too. This will be the first in a long time. Feli is coming as well, as my guest.” Oh that would be fun. “It never really happened before, any of us bringing guests along. But since Maarten brought you along, Anouk brought Francis over once. And now I bring Feli with me.” Well, it sounds like they will have a good time.

At this point Matthew noticed four people walking into the square, some familiar faces. Arthur and the BeNeLux siblings had arrived. They looked weirdly intimidating and fabulous. They stopped in front of one of the foodstands, after doing their fabulous walk. Oh, it was around lunchtime. “I’m going to say hi to them. See you later.” Germany seemed fine on the bench. Feli walked over smiling and sat down next to Ludwig. They were fine on the bench. He smiled.  
Maarten was the first to notice him, waving in big movements. He looked like a dork, as always. “MATT!!! OVER HERE!!!” embarrassing him in public. His favorite…. “Hey, guys. How was your little trip around the city?” Arthur turned to him.  
“It was great. I quite enjoyed it. You set up a really nice festival.”  
“Thank you, Arthur.” He was glad they enjoyed it. Anouk was praising the music playing everywhere. Louis suddenly stormed off, towards Francis, Pulling Anouk with him. 

He, Maarten and Arthur got the food and just kept talking. It was better than trying to keep everyone together while giving a tour. After a while they went back to the rest of the group. It was alright, better than before. He had backup now. At least Alfred turned his attention to Arthur. And Anouk kind of got everyone under control and together to move on in under five minutes. It was a sight to behold. “Thank you Anouk. Okay, let’s go.”  
Things got more pleasant for there on out. While they lost less people, they did lose Louis….. Four times. So Matthew now had Alfred and Louis tied to each other. It was kind of funny to watch. Louis acted like a kid, but outsmarted Alfred on multiple debates.The day really turned around. It was great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always hate big family events, so I may or may not have been projecting on Matthew a little bit.... Still turned out pretty good. 
> 
> One thing I wanted to say is that i'm having some difficulty with Francis. He was suposed to be a bigger influence in the story.... But his development was kind of put on hiatus....Don't worry though, I have soemthing good planned for him. :) 
> 
> Next chapter is going to be the family dinner with almost everyone. yay.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated and I like comments


	7. a family dinner, what could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything and nothing at all.
> 
> More fluff in this chapter. Anyone who loves the family interactions between the nations, is at least going to like this chapter.
> 
> NedCan gets more serious and Gemany/Italy get a bit of spotlight as well. I just had to invlove them, they are to cute.

(We are going to Anouk, yay)

Anouk had been running around her house like she was supposed to be somewhere, like three hours ago. And she was losing her mind! Maarten was out shopping for all the food she forgot during her first three shopping trips. She was preparing some of the food. Cutting bread, putting stuff in the right bowls and making the sauce. At the same time…..   
Anyway, Ludwig would be there, for the first time in ages. He was bringing Feli along. Yay! Anouk had always wanted to talk to Feli. He just seemed like a guy she could get along with. Arthur was coming as well. He wouldn’t bring a guest, which was perfect. Anouk had to talk to him about Matthew and Maarten without anyone listening in. Louis would obviously be there. And Maarten and Matthew would be there. At this point, Matthew was no longer a guest. Mainly because he came every dinner they had. He now had his own seat at the table, as was tradition for Anouk. Just her own thing, she liked family. And Matthew was on the way to become family fairly quickly, with the way those two had been acting. 

Her brother never flirted, she had never seen him flirt before, she had never heard him flirt. But with Matthew……. Every cringe worthy Dutch and English pickup line to ever be used. Ugh. It was kind of adorable. Matthew retaliated though. With just the way he acted, niceness and all. The thing was neither noticed what they were doing and it was driving her and Arthur insane. She didn’t know Matthew was that dense, just like Arthur hadn’t know Maarten was as dense as he was. There was probably a better analogy for that.  
The point was they were dating and didn’t realize they were. They went to every ice rink in both of their countries. They went to zoo’s…… Because Matthew adored animals and Maarten liked the aquariums, even though the ocean was trying to murder him and everyone he loved. Matthew liking animals is also why they went to petting zoos….. As two grown adults. And they stayed in watching movies together, with food. 

…..And she managed to burn the sauce. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG. This always happened. Now she needed to start over and she was running out of time. 

Oh, Maarten was back. “ANOUK! I GOT THE STUFF YOU ASKED FOR. Oh hey.” He walked into the kitchen.

“Yes, great. Can you get started on preparing the meat, please. put it on the plate once you are done.” And they got to work. They had an hour left….. Thankfully they didn’t have to cook it. They were going to have a little grill on the table and cook the food while talking. It was going to be fun. The smell of the food would just set a great atmosphere. It was one of her favorite things to do at family dinners. 

Okay, they got everything on the table. Everything was ready and set to go. Yay. 

Arthur came in first and Louis shortly after that. Ludwig came later than usual with Feli, who might be the reason for his unusual later than ten minutes early lateness. Matthew came in last, still on time though. Why was everyone alway early? Hugs and greetings all around. Everyone was in the living room, just talking. Feli was terrified of Arthur. Arthur didn’t seem to bothered by it though. Ludwig looked….. incredibly awkward. He was trying to figure out who to talk to and how to talk to them. She remembered, that was how it used to be when they were little. She might as well give him a little push, right?

“Ludwig, could you be a dear and help me set the table?”  
“Ja.” Alrighty. To the kitchen they went. Anouk just talked and ludwig responded, sometimes.   
“You can calm down, you know. Everyone is okay.”  
She just wanted to have fun with everyone tonight.

______Back to Matthew____________

Matthew was talking to Louis. The kid….? Was very nice, if not a bit mischievous. He seemed to like Matthew, so that was good. Maarten and Arthur were talking as well. They got into a heated, but civil, debate on coffee versus tea. In his opinion, Arthur was winning, but Maarten was more passionate about all of it. But then again, did anyone truly win in this scenario….. Maarten used sarcasm and hard facts and Arthur had the experience and his charming accent going for him. It was funny to watch. Feli was looking a little lost, but happy. Ludwig was in the kitchen with Anouk. He tried to engage Feli in his and Louis’ conversation, but Feli got distracted by everything. He chimed in once they got to their countries traditional dishes though. 

“Everyone! it’s time for dinner!” Oh, Anouk called them all over. He took his seat at the table. He got this seat after the third dinner. He was proud of the seat. There was a little electric grill on the table. He never did this before….. Never enough people around to do it with….  
But now there were six other people. seven including him! This was going to be great!   
He was sitting next to maarten. Louis was on the other side of him. Ludwig, Feli and Arthur were across from him, Ludwig in the middle. And Anouk, as the host sat at the head of the table. There were all kinds of food on the table, mostly uncooked, that was what the grill was for. There were meats and veggies. and it was really warm now, because of the grill.

Anyway, He was talking with Maarten. They were talking about ‘de elfstedentocht’, the big ice skating race through elven cities. “So the ice was too fragile this time…… I’ve seen grown men cry over the ice not being thick enough.”   
Anouk jumped in. “You were crying as well, Maarten.”  
“I was not.” Maarten was doing his angry pout. Matthew laughed.  
“Next time the ice is thick enough, I’ll come to cheer you on okay?” Maarten gave him a smile. “Looking forward to it”.   
He could hear Arthur laughing. “If I remember correctly, you just pass out on the ice after the race, correct? You were talking about fluffy clouds.”   
Maarten was blushing. “I do not pass out and clouds nice. Why is everyone targeting me tonight? Honestly, i’m trying to have a good time and I feel so attacked right now.” He was doing a sassy pose.

Louis stopped kicking the table, finally...“Because you are an easy target. And that’s all that matters.” Matthew laughed. They were kind of picking on Maarten, but he could handle it. But he might as well help him. “Guys, come on. Arthur, you are the saddest drinker I’ve ever met. I don’t think you can judge Maarten on something so small. And Louis, can you please stop kicking the table. Somebody will burn their hand. Thank you.” Louis did stop. Good. 

Ludwig and Feli were kind of stuck in their own little bubble. Ludwig said something, making Feli laugh. And then Ludwig laughed as well. Feli was telling Ludwig a story while making big movements with his hands. It was adorable. They were adorable. He whispered to Maarten. “Hey, are they a thing yet? They seem to be really close.” Maarten smiled at him. “Yes, they actually are. It doesn’t bother you, right?” Of course not.   
“No, not at all. I think it’s cute, actually.” And they were. Sickeningly cute, almost. As in, it was clear that they wanted to cuddle….. Haha. Oh, if only.

After everyone was full, they cleared the table and washed the dishes. They had a system going. Ludwig and Matthew were on washing duty and Anouk and Maarten at drying duty. Feli was putting the stuff away and Louis put them in their actual place. Arthur was cleaning the table. Anyway, considering how late it was, everyone was staying over one night. Like the first time Matthew was there. Arthur had his own room. Ludwig and Feli shared a room. Louis and Anouk had their own rooms as well. Him and Maarten were still sharing a room. Anouk offered to clear up the attic, but Matthew liked rooming with Maarten. So it was no problem. They kind of talked for hours before going to sleep. They may or may not talk on one of the beds. It was just easier. They still shoved the bed together if one of them had a bad day….. It was just…. what they did. 

Matthew claimed the shower first. Yay. “Maarten! I may or may not have forgotten the towel….” He was stupid. Lucky for him, Maarten handed him one through the door, without looking. He respected privacy. “Here you go, paasei. You’re lucky i’m here go hand you one. Or you would have to wait to dry off and catch a cold.” True, very true.

He was done and Maarten claimed the shower next. Matthew decided just to read a book for now. 

______________Lill timeskip, again :D ____________

Oh, Maarten was done. “Hey Matt, What are you reading?”   
“A book” Maarten snorted.   
“I noticed. What genre is it?”   
“Fairy tales, I borrowed it from Alfred. It’s… surprisingly good.” It was, but then again…. He found it in Alfred’s storage room. So it might not even belong to him.  
“Ah, cool. Did you enjoy today?”  
Yes he did. “It was fun, with everyone there. I was thinking of inviting Alfred, but he was busy. And alfred and Arthur still had some tension between them. They really should just address it….   
“Ah, okay. Anyway. I’m going to sleep, alright?” 

“Alright, goodnight Maarten.”  
“Truste (Night night).”

And that was the end of the day…… He actually fell asleep pretty quick. So that was great.

The next morning was something special. He woke up to shouting. Was that Arthur? 

“YOU GET BACK HERE, YOU GIANT MENACHE!!!” Yes, definitely Arthur. Just what was going on? He stepped out of the room (dressed and refreshed). He saw Arthur running after Feli, who was shouting apologies…… “What happened here….?” Coffee first. He went over to the kitchen area. Maarten and Ludwig were sitting at the table with sweet and precious coffee. Ludwig looked half asleep. “Good morning everyone. So… What is going on out there?”

Maarten sighed. “Feli spilled coffee on Arthur. This wouldn’t be bad, but that was the third time today and it’s only eight in the morning. Louis is out with Anouk, the two early birds. They got up at five…..I’m still waking up so I stayed here. Oh, there’s still coffee in the thing, if you want some.”

And he took some. Arthur calmed down after a while , now in clean clothes, and Feli apologised. He looked really scared, poor guy. Ludwig fully woke up at some point as well. Apparently Feli couldn’t sleep, because new place and all that, and he kept Ludwig awake the whole night. Ludwig didn’t seem to bothered though. They were all talking and smiling together. Eventually Anouk and Louis came back with freshly baked bread. And they had breakfast together.  
This is great. He couldn’t wait until the next dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. School decides my time is theirs.... but i'm back.
> 
> NEXT CHAPTER: The scene from the summary. I know you guys were waiting for it  
> It's about to get about a 100% more gay.


	8. So..... I did a thing. A pretty gay thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty gay.
> 
> Matthew is a very confused and suportive cinnamon roll.
> 
> Happy reading :D

______It’s 2001….Do you know what this means?_____

 

Matthew’s day had been kind of boring. He had some reports to deal with, stupid people were failing at basic spelling, but that was it. He could go outside…...He just didn’t feel like it. So, it was kind of his fault for the day being kind of boring. Hehehe. Ugh. Then again….It was “snowing”, as in three snowflakes a minute.

His phone ran. Oh, he wasn’t expecting any calls today. “Hello, this is Matthew.”  
“Hey, Matthew. It’s uh, uhm Maarten.” Oh, they usually called on fridays not on wednesdays. Why would he call? “Is everything okay? I mean, it’s nice that you called, but this is not the day we usually call.”  
“Yes, everything is fine. Can’t I just call for no reason once.” Okay, that was bullshit. He was hiding something. He was usually better at hiding things. ”Maarten….. What did you do?” He was really concerned now…What if something serious was going on.  
“Oh, nothing too bad or special….. I just…Uhm…. Legalized gay marriage.”  
“You just did what now?” What? How? Why? When? WHAT?!  
“I legalized gay marriage…. on april fools day…”  
*Sigh* Matthew rubbed his head, a headache was coming up. “Why?! Did you do that?!”  
"Just in case people didn't take it well, you know. So we could say, hey, just joking."  
"Maarten.... WHAT THE HELL!!!" How does Maarten keep throwing him off balance like it was the easiest thing in the world?

Matthew was very confused. In this day and age, gay couples weren't illegal. More people were dating. Of course there was still the social problem of acceptance. They weren't allowed to marry either. But that’s why Feli and Ludwig were more open on their….Relationship, compared to before.  
But now, apparently, in the Netherlands it was legal. Damn. This was going to change the game, whatever that meant.

“Okay, sorry. I guess I didn’t expect it….So… Congratulations? Sorry, You just confused me, I am really happy for you.” He really was, but also very confused. This wasn’t really what he expected on his free wednesday. It was a great thing though. 

“Thanks Matt, it does mean a lot. And I get it….. I, uhm. I mean, i’m happy with it, but my government kind of did most of it behind my back. It’s uhm, Damn it.” Oh no he was getting frustrated. ”Oh Maarten don’t worry. To me, personally, it’s all fine. So calm down. I think it’s great, the world might just get a little more accepting. This is amazing.”  
Maarten laughed. “Ja well, someone has to take the first step right. I’m glad you’re okay with all this. Some people in my country have been….Upset.” Of fucking course. That also explains Maarten’s uncertainty while talking. Matthew realized, kind of suddenly, how much this meant to Maarten. 

“This is really important to you, isn’t it.” He kept his voice gentle.  
“Yea, it really is.” He heard Maarten laugh. “You don’t even know how much it is.”  
“Well…. I don’t have to know to support you.”

“Sorry if i’m a little…. shaky…? It has been a wild couple of days. I’m running on adrenaline now. I’ve been partying for three days.”  
“I think you’ll be fine. You should have called earlier though. Oh, you should come over to celebrate.”

They just kept talking on the phone for a while. It was really nice, to hear Maarten so happy. 

 

________Lill time skip, more to come in the future_________

Maarten was visiting him. It had been really fun so far. They were sightseeing for a while. Well, Maarten was sightseeing and Matthew was the guide.

At some point, the fourth….? day of the visit, at Matthew’s home, Maarten came out to him. “Sooooooo…… I’m gay.”  
“Okay.”  
“Okay?”  
“Yea. thanks for telling me.” He looked over at Maarten. “You were stressing out for this, weren’t you?” Maarten looked over at him.  
“Yes. I just forgot that you are to accepting for your own good. But still, thanks.” But of course. It really didn’t make sense to Matthew that people got so upset about people just… living their lives, without hurting anyone. 

“Hey, I had a weird idea. Do you want to go bowling? I know it might be a little…. boring, us being nations and all.”  
Maarten smiled. “No it’s a great idea. It’s alway fun to see the faces of people when getting strikes in a row.” But…. Couldn’t humans do that too….?  
“Well, how many can you get in a row?” Maarten started blushing. Clearly he was no bowling master. “Uhm, two…..To be honest, it’s Louis who is the bowling master in the family.” Ah, that made sense. 

So they went to the bowling alley. They were messing around a little bit. Matthew was trying to play the game properly and at first Maarten was too. Maarten just really sucked. If the goal was to get the ball in the wrong place, he was a master. The game went on for a while. And then Matthew dented the bowling floor…...He still got a strike though. They left shortly after that, the owners sending them out. It had been fun while it lasted. 

They were just hanging out in Matthew’s house now. Alfred was gone for the evening, so they had total control of the remote. It was the first time in a month that Matthew got to pick a movie. So it was time for a movie marathon. Matthew always wanted to point stuff out, things that didn’t make sense or that they should or could do. But he didn’t want to ruin the experience for Maarten so he kept quiet. It was really difficult, with the dumb girl. But after the horror movie that came on, he just had to say something. “Why are you going upstairs. You can’t escape from upstairs.” Shit, he didn’t mean to talk. 

But then he heard Maarten snort. “I know right. Also, call the police. They never said the phone was disconnected.” Oh. My god. 

Matthew looked at Maarten. “You don’t mind if I talk during movies?” Maarten looked over and smiled. “No, not at all. It gives a new perspective. And it’s kind of cute, with how frustrated you get. How can you be this adorable?” Maarten was poking his cheek. Matthew was blushing now, great. But it was nice that he could finally point out the stupid stuff that was happening. “Why would you split up! Are you dumb?!”

“Don’t go to the noise! Goddamnit!” “Well shit” Maarten joined in as well. One of the characters had just died because they were stupid. They were having a great time, the people in the movie…. Not so much.

It was evening now and they just took dinner and ate it on the couch. It was getting quite late as well. At some point Maarten started to fall asleep, but the loud noise of a jumpscare woke him up and made him fall of the couch. Haha. “Don’t laugh at me, you meany.”  
“Sorry, it just looked really funny.” Maarten sat back down on the couch.  
“Fine.”

Maarten started to nod of again. So Matthew turned to volume down a bit, he seemed tired. Maarten started to kind of fall to the side. Ending in Matthews lap…… Oh dear. This was a little awkward. At least it wasn’t the cliche landing on the shoulder. So…… what now?  
He could just watch the movie without feeling too awkward, right? After all, it wasn’t really his doing. Yea, that seemed great. At first he felt really on edge, but with the movie playing and with Maarten’s breathing, he calmed down. Thankfully. And he started petting Maartens hair , semi-unconsciously. His hair wasn’t really soft, probably because of hair gel. It still felt funny in his hand. They kind of stayed like that for a while.

And then Alfred came home. Matthew was preparing himself for the questions, but then again Alfred wasn’t the one to really notice anything. He just walked right past them. Thank god. He looked at Maarten. He looked really peaceful.

 

______Sleepy Maarten getting sappy_______

Someone was petting his head…. Who….? Was……? Uhm... It felt kind of weird. But then again, it was probably because of his hair stuff….. He kind of wanted to go sleep again. He was really comfortable. His pillow was moving….. Huh? He slowly opened his eyes. It wasn’t bright in the room, but his eyes were assaulted by the light of…. the tv…..? ouch. That kind of hurt... He looked up.

“Oh, you’re awake. Good mo… well, it’s still evening.” Oh, Matthew. He was smiling. Maarten still felt a little sleepy, so he gave Matthew a sleepy smile. And Matthew looked really nice right now. His eyes. His hair. His face….. His….everything. Damn it, he was so gay. And Matthew was smiling, he looked really cute.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” That wasn’t what he meant to say. Oh, shit. Matthew looked very surprised. He was blushing too and it was adorable. He looked back at Maarten, smiling shyly. “Well, thanks. So….. are you saying that in a romantic sense? Because I think we’ve been kind of acting like we’re together for a while, haven’t we? How do I only realize that now?” Oh god. How does one respond to that. And yes, they had basically be dating for about fifty years. But what about Matthew’s question? He could just tell Matthew how he felt right?

“Uhm, yes. So, shall we make it official? Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Good job Maarten, just get it out. It was a little more difficult, because he really cared about Matthew. Not wanting to ruining the thing he had with the one person who just listened. And was so nice and cute. And secretly sassy. He always got distracted by Matthew, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He really didn’t mind. 

And now Matthew was giving him his smile. “Yes, I would like that” They hugged, one of those comfortable hugs. He just felt so happy. Matthew gave him a kiss on the cheek and his face was burning now. When he looked over at Matthew he saw he was blushing as well. Ugh, they were both giant dorks.  
But if they could be dorks together, then it was fine by Maarten.

Matthew looked back over, breaking their hug. “So, can we finally have that date now? Officially?” 

“Yes, definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!! The scene from the summary you've all been waiting for. YAY!!!  
> I hope you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> The thing is.... I've never dated someone....So I have no clue how confessions go, I just imagine they are stressful until you've done it. I just hope it was at least a little relatable, or something like that.
> 
> Next chapter: They are coming out of the closet. hooray!
> 
> Feedback is appricated and I like comments


	9. I mean.....You guys are just obvious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. WAHAHAHA.
> 
> My school had a school exam week (or seven days spread over two weeks) and it sucked. So I've been studying. Same for my spel check person. Back I had this ready to go, just needed to be checked.
> 
> Anyway, the guys are coming out of the closet to friends and family.
> 
> Happy reading :D

________Back to Matthew, at Arthur’s place________

Matthew was having tea with Arthur. While Arthur sucked at cooking, he was great at baking. So Matthew was thoroughly enjoying all the sweets and pastries. “These are really great Arthur.” Arthur looked really proud of himself. “Well, I can actually make better stuff when I’m not expecting any visitors. I guess the pressure of making something great for someone just gets to me.” That made sense. When him and alfred were very little, the food was of okay…? quality. But as they got older and Alfred more demanding, the food became less edible. “I think I get it. But this is great.” Matthew smiled at Arthur.

“Thank you. I was kind of surprised you came to visit me. But I don’t mind to have some company. It’s good to see you again. How have you been?” Arthur was smiling at him.  
Matthew thought about the past few weeks. “Life has been great. I guess i’m having one of those days where everything goes right.”  
Arthur laughed. “And now you have jinxed it. But on a more serious note, i’m glad everything is working out for you.” They sat in comfortable silence for a while, drinking their tea. 

The moment was broken by his phone going off. Oh, it was Maarten. “Do you mind I take this? I’ll make it short.”  
“Of course, don’t worry about it. Go take that call. I’ll just be putting the plates away.” 

“Hello, Matthew here. Hey Maarten, how are you?” They started to call whenever they felt like it recently. If one of them was busy they could just call back. They may or may not call to say goodnight, like…. every night.  
“I’m doing great, thanks. I just wanted to call, sorry. I know it sounds cliche.”  
“No don’t worry about it. It’s adorable. I am visiting Arthur though and I don’t want to keep him waiting. Is it alright if I call you back later?” He really hoped it wasn’t a problem and knowing Maarten, it wouldn’t be. He just wanted to be sure ”Of course, that’s alright. So just call me when you have time, okay? Well, bye. I love you.” Oh the big sap.  
“I love you too, Maarten. Bye.”

He hung up and turned around. And there was Arthur, standing in the doorway. Shoot. Matthew froze. Oh god, he was not ready for this. “Uhm, hello. Sorry I was just cleaning up the teacups and overheard a part of the conversation. So, how long have you been together now?” Matthew was freaking out. This was not how he wanted him to find out. shit. Arthur must have noticed his panic though. “Oh Matthew, don’t worry. I’m not upset or anything. I know Maarten well enough to know you’ll be fine. I am still going to give him the shovel talk though.” Arthur was always so nice to him. Damn it, if this kept up he might just start crying.  
“Okay. Also, please don’t.” He was going to anyway wasn’t he.  
“I’m going to anyway Matthew.” Yes, he knew it. He should probably warn Maarten.  
“You are the worst. Not really though, sorry. Anyway, we have been dating for…. two months now. It has been really nice.” Damn it, he was blushing. And smiling.  
“Two months? You do realize that Anouk and I thought you were going out for years now.”  
“What? Uhm no. It became official two months ago.” And now he was confused. Great.  
“Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for telling me. And I apologise for walking in on your conversation. Are you alright? You look a litlle….not okay.”  
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m fine, I think. I just...wasn’t prepared for any of this, sorry.” Arthur pulled him into a hug. 

That was really stressful…. He needed more tea.

_________To Maarten, hurray________

Maarten asked Anouk and Louis to come over. He had already come out to the two of them and they didn’t mind at all. Anouk was way too excited though. Louis didn’t really get why it mattered, so there was that. He was okay with it though and gave Maarten a big hug. When him and Matthew got together, he was on cloud nine for at least two weeks. He knew he was more distracted and tended to stare of into space. People seemed to notice as well, considering he burned his hand on the coffee at least twice a week.. When he finally woke up thing got even better. It wasn’t like, oh, he woke up and realized it was terrible and everything was boring. No. It was more like he truly realized how lucky he actually was. Matthew was right. He was secretly a giant sap.

So now he was planning to tell Anouk and Louis that he and Matthew were dating. Matthew was okay with it as well. “So I wanted to tell you guys something. So, me and Matthew are dating.”  
Louis gave him a confused stare.” Yea, I know.” Wait what? “Uhm, pardon?”  
“I mean, you guys are just really obvious. I figured it out like, three years ago. I’m really happy for you two though. Matthew is nice.” This little…  
“Okay then. What about you Anouk.” Anouk had been sipping her tea. Watching the exchange. “I knew you liked him and I was trying to get you two together. Didn’t you notice?”  
“No….” He knew she was up to something though. He wasn’t completely blind.  
“And, brother, of course I don’t have a problem with it. Don’t you know that by now? Also, who knows, so far?”  
That was a good question. He didn’t know that they knew. So who else would know. “Well, Matthew told Arthur… or he found out. And with you, three people know so far. I think.”

When Matthew told him Arthur knew and that he told him, Maarten just felt proud. Matthew told him how freaked out he was, because Arthur found out on accident. But he still calmly explained everything to Arthur. He was a proud boyfriend. It did help that Arthur cared about Matthew, so even if he was a judgemental asshole, he would have accepted Matthew. Maarten was just really proud of his boyfriend, because it was scary, no matter how accepting someone is. He used the word proud to much….

Anouk looked a little apprehensive. “What about Francis. He was one of Matthew’s caretakers, wasn’t he?” Matthew never brought Francis up when they talked about… telling people. He did talk about Francis in a positive way though, so maybe he just never thought about it…? “I don’t know. But I think it should be Matthew’s choice, right? So don’t go and tell Francis, Anouk.” He knew Anouk and Francis were…. besties, or something. but still.  
“Alright, I won’t. But could you bring it up with Matthew once?”  
“Sure.” 

_____Back to Matthew, switching p.o.v’s, lalala____

Matthew and Maarten were on a date. They went to this little diner, it had been Matthew’s turn to pick. Yay. And they were having fun together. Unfortunately, it was the last day in a long time. Lots of stuff was coming up soon, so they would be down to just calling once again. Well, they would survive. Even with their long distance relationship, they had been doing really good. Matthew just couldn’t stop smiling nowadays. 

And Anouk told him that apparently Maarten got a smile on his face every time she named Matthew. No matter how hard he tried to get it off, it was there to stay. Matthew may or may not have teased him mercilessly with this fact. For someone who could be so intimidating, Maarten could be so adorable. Yes he could say that, they were dating. They were dating. Just the thought made him smile. 

And they had arguments, of course. But….. They just didn’t matter. The worst one thay had ended in the two of them giving each other the silent treatment for a week. In the end Matthew called first. He hadn’t planned to apologise, just to talk things through. But before he even had the chance to speak, Maarten said sorry. A firm, but truthful, sorry. And honestly, Matthew was still annoyed with the whole thing. But they talked it out afterwards, like adults. Some nations should take a page from their book and not start a cold war. *cough* Alfed and Ivan *cough*. And it wasn’t a petty argument by the way. Maarten was upset because well…… He kind of ruined all his favorite white shirts, because red clothes…. It actually sounded petty, now that he thought back on it….. It really shouldn’t have gone as far as it did. They didn’t really argue after that. Maybe because they realized it was a waste of time. They communicated, again, like adults. Maarten was encouraging him to speak his mind more often, to avoid misunderstandings. And Matthew explained to Maarten why always speaking your mind wasn’t the best thing either. Matthew suspected that Maarten thought it was bullshit, but listened anyway.

Them being nations never interfered with their relationship. If anything, it started their relationship. Matthew found out that some of Maarten’s government officials shipped him and Maarten. It was the final push to legalise same sex marriage, apparently. That was hilarious and kind of unsettling at the same time. And because they were on the same page about a lot of world problems, they got to work together, like a lot. It was fun to finally get his points in.. And they promised each other if there was an issue that put their countries against each other, whether they agreed or not, they promised to agree to disagree. This was difficult for Maarten at first and maybe too easy for Matthew. He didn’t like conflict, really. But that’s how they did it. And everything was good.

Anyway, back to their date. They were having a great time, but it was clear that Maarten had something to say. “It’s not really like you to not say what’s on your mind. What’s going on up there?” He was really curious, if not a little concerned.  
“Well….. I told Anouk and Louis about us. They took it well. they already knew? That was a little confusing. But anyway, Anouk asked me to bring this up. She wondered if you told Francis about all this. I told her it wasn’t really her place to tell him, so he shouldn’t know yet” Maarten looked a little uncomfortable. 

Oh, right. While papa wouldn’t care about him dating another guy, with him crushing on Arthur for centuries, he would care about who he was dating. The phone call never really left his mind, maybe because it was the first really bad one they had…. He clearly didn’t approve of Maarten…. But he did want to tell Francis, because he really mattered to Matthew. “I don’t know. i’m visiting him later this month. oh coincidences.”  
“Maybe that’s why she asked…. But hey, if you don’t feel up to it yet, that shouldn’t be a problem right. God knows i’m nowhere near ready to tell some of the other countries. I won’t think less of you.” That wasn’t the issue.  
“No. The thing is…. I want to, but I just don’t want him to speak bad of you. He really doesn’t like you.” Maarten must be one of few Francis truly didn’t like after the European Union was formed….

“Awh, you big sap. It’s really nice of you to worry about me. But you know, I don’t really care what the french fry thinks. So you can tell him if you want to.” And he really did want to. 

 

So that’s what he did……

 

“So, papa. I wanted to tell you something. Well…. You’ve been bugging me to get together with someone for at least a decade now and uhm…… I’m dating someone now.” Francis let out a very unmanly squeal. His ears were now bleeding. Francis pulled Matthew into a suffocating hug.  
“That took you long enough. Merde, I’m so happy for you. Oh you have to tell me. Are they a guy or a girl? What do they look like? Are they good to you? Do you have any pictures? Oh, this is so exciting. I need information. Give me all the details. Right now!” 

Oh boy. Okay, remember the advice Maarten gave. No use in stalling.  
“Alright, uhm, where to start? I might as well say it. I’m dating Maarten.” 

And Francis was speechless for about five seconds, which is pretty long for him, but then again…. it was quite short. “Damn, now I own eyebrows twenty.” Not the response he was expecting….. “Uhm what?”  
“Arthur saw something in the letter you wrote, or something like that and I…. didn’t. I have to say i’m a little surprised. Huh. Well anyway, I still want to know all about it, because you obviously care. And you still need to answer four of my questions. Come on!” Francis was smiling at him. Okay this was already better than expected.  
“Okay, let’s see…… When I met him, he was tied up in a basement.” He heard Francis snort.  
“Kinky.” UUUUUUUUUUUUHG.  
“No…. just no….. Why do you always do this? It’s not funny. He was starving there, like his people on the north side of the country. And somehow he still managed to be tall and intimidating.” Francis was sitting very close with his head resting on his arms, smiling, it was kind of awkward. 

“That does sound like Pays-bas. He is a stubborn guy. No wonder mon lapin (Arthur) is friends with him. Continue.” That was true, but he was more willing to compromise if you bought him chocolate. Something he found out after the rubber duck incident (i’ll get back to that later ;D). “So even though he was starving he refused to stay in bed. He was fighting with us, like a very angry cat. And playing with the scared children we came across. It was really cute, now that I think back on it.” 

Francis was smiling. “It sound like you really like him….. So that’s good. And how is he towards you?” Oh, sneaky concerned Francis. Okay, let’s see.

“He has bought me ten thousand tulip bulbs for the past 6 decades. I don’t know how much that says about a person, but I found out tulips are kind of cool. And a pain to plant…..  
Okay, what else. Oh , he keeps giving me hugs. and sometimes I catch him glancing at me. And then he doesn’t look away, but just says i’m beautiful, or cute, or how i’m strong, both physically and mentally. And…..Well….. It’s really nice. Because he notices my less noticeable parts too.” He knew he was smiling like an idiot now. Francis was still smiling, although it seemed a little more sad. “I’m glad you found someone who loves you. But I can’t help and worry a little bit. We are nations after all and romance has never bodes well for us.” 

Francis meant well. Despite what a lot of people thought, Francis wasn’t a rapist. He was the country of love. LOVE! And he had been a great parent and Matthew was still thankful for all he did. Anyway, Matthew was sure he was just worried. Most country relationships lasted until an issue arose, putting their countries on opposite sides. Francis knew that better than anyone and it was kind of sad. The guy just wants love.

“I think…. I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. So please don’t worry about me. Also, I can fend for myself should there be a need. I have a great left hook.” 

“As long a you don’t do drugs. Your boyfriend is kind of famous for that.”

“DAD!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little advice from me. If you want to come out to your parents, wait until you are sure they accept it or until you have somewhere else to go. Wait until you're save. It might take a long time, but it WILL be worth it. Not everyone is as accepting as the characters here, even if gay marriage is legal. Eventually you'll find people who accept you. If you want some comfort or just tell your story, you can always talk to me. I won't judge.  
> There is a song called "Spectrum" by Boyinaband and it brought me comfort before coming out. Thankfully my mother was accepting. Thanks for reading.
> 
> Also, I've never been in a relationship, so Maarten and Matthew's way of dealing with the aguments are the same as my mom and my dad. They never fight and it's unsettlingly cute....
> 
> Next time: Matthew knew he forgot to tell someone


	10. Born to make history

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this is what one might call an epilogue....  
> Get ready for a skating chapter written by someone who can't skate for shit.
> 
> Happy reading :D

It was snowing in Canada. (Oh, what a surprise) Maarten was over at his house. They stopped using the word visiting a while ago. They didn’t visit, they stayed over. And it was fun and often…..cuddly. And Matthew liked cuddles. 

Anyway, they were ice skating. It had actually been Francis’ idea and it was a great idea. Like Matthew already suspected, Francis didn’t really like Maarten all that much. But he wanted to give him a shot and at least tolerate him, considering his son was now dating Maarten. So now they were at the ice rink with: Himself, Maarten, Arthur, Francis, Ludwig, Feli, Romano, Alfred, Ivan (Russia), Antonio (Spain), Jett (Australia), Peter (Sealand), Roderich (Austria) and Gilbert. Anouk and Louis didn’t come. Same for Kiku and Yao. He had no clue why.

So they were with a big group. How did they pay for that? Well….. Ludwig made up the story of it being a country bonding exercise, so they got government funding to go ice skating. HA! To be honest, the bonding exercise wasn’t a total lie. They were learning stuff about each other, that they couldn’t USE against each other. They could tease though, they could tease. Hehehe. Matthew got some great blackmail material. *Sinister giggle*

Gilbert and Roderich left a while ago to get chocolate or something. He had no clue where they were right now, considering they left an hour ago.

In one part of the rink you could see Antonio trying to go after Romano….And failing miserably. He was crawling on the ice. He couldn’t get up. Romano was supporting himself with the wall of the rink, slowly sliding away, cursing kind of loudly. It was funny to watch.

Feli and ludwig were close to them. Feli was trying the help Romano, but he didn’t want his help and batted his hand away, hissing like a kitten. (It was an adorable sound) Feli was a little better at skating. Well….. He was standing, without wobbling too much. Ludwig was next to them, ready to catch Feli if he fell. And it was soooooo adorable. 

Funny story. Feli and Ludwig got married. In the Netherlands. They were husbands now. It was wonderful. How they pulled it off, he didn’t know. But they were officially official now. How do countries even get married outside their own country? Well they still did it and they looked so happy. 

There were varying reactions. Some were more confused. Others just accepted and celebrated it. And unfortunately there were still people who got “offended”. Not everyone is accepting. Thankfully both Feli and Ludwig had supporting families. Ludwig had Maarten, Louis, Arthur and Anouk. And Feli had Romano, Roderich, Antonio (not close family but still, it’s the thought that counts) and Elizabeta (Hungary) (the yaoi shipper). And other countries supported them as well. Matthew was there to cheer them on as well.

The wedding had been great as well. Everything and everyone was just happy. Gilbert was the flower girl. Ludwig didn’t want him to, but that didn’t stop him from wearing a dress and throwing rose petals all over the place. And kidnapping the original flower girl. She was alright, is not a bit scared. Maarten was the person that married them. Apparently that was something he could do. And he took it way to serious. (You may now kiss the husband. Yea, that goes for both of you.) But the party after was really cool as well. There was music, way to old music. And cake, it was good. The cake was good. The food was amazing, because Feli and Romano cooked it. Grandpa Rome and Germania were there as well. temporarily. He did have fun, him and Maarten were just dancing together.

Anyway, back to the skating rink. Jett was surprisingly good at skating and was skating with Peter, who was also pretty good at skating. They were trying to get the other to fall, by hooking the skates. It was pretty dangerous, with them wearing skates and all. Someone could get a hole in his head. Arthur shouted a warning at them, one that they didn’t take, at all. Matthew just hoped that no one got seriously hurt. 

The only reason Arthur didn’t come over to smack his …..? Children? on the head, was because he was barely standing. He was standing, but wobbling a little. Francis was clinging to Arthur’s arm. Matthew knew, from memories, that he would fall over without the support of Arthur. But because he was swaying and wobbling so much, he almost pulled Arthur with him and that was no appreciated. Arthur was smacking him now, though without real strength. And they were on the ice, they fell. Ha. Francis was laughing. Arthur was trying to hide a smile. Why was everyone so cute today. Was it the magic of a skating rink? Francis said something to Arthur and Arthur could no longer hide his smile. They really should just kiss, damn it. Matthew had teamed up with Anouk to get them together. Oh, how the tables had turned.

Oh, and Ivan was there as well. Right now he was having a skating match with Alfred. Nothing surprising there. Ivan was winning. By a long shot. And Alfred was so very frustrated, it was amazing to watch. Alfred got so into it that it was actually holding him back. This counts for a lot situations Alfred gets into. He was falling on his butt left and right. And on his face. Matthew was a little concerned. But because Alfred got up everytime, he just left him to it. And he tried to conceal his smile, but he was failing. Miserably. They were also endangering everyone else in the rink…… this could also be applied to other instances in their lifes. Well, at least Ivan was having fun.

And what was Matthew himself doing? Well, he was standing together with Maarten. They were skating before, but now the rink was a warzone. There was just a too big risk of bumping into others. And with their speed, someone was bound to get hurt on collision. So for now they were talking together (Read: Flirting) in the corner. They weren’t entirely standing still. They were moving very slowly, like walking pace. And they were skating very close, but nobody cared. Everyone was aware of their relationship at this point. At least, he thought everyone knew…. 

He just said something that made Maarten laugh and he just couldn’t resist. He gave Maarten a kiss on the cheek, causing another burst of laughter. 

“DUDE, what the FUCK?!”

Uh? Both him and Maarten turned around. Alfred stood behind them, looking very confused. His jaw had hit the floor. OH NO! HE FORGOT TO TELL ALFRED!!!  
“Oh, uhm. So, this is awkward.” He heard Maarten snort.  
“I can’t believe that you forgot to tell your brother.” Maarten was full out laughing now. Matthew may or may not be NOT ready for any of this. “It has been a busy couple of months, all right? Alfred, i’m so sorry. Oh god where do I even start?”  
Alfred took a dramatic pose. On skates. It was kind of impressive for someone who just fell 36 times. “I can’t believe you forgot about me! Your dearest brother! I just can’t even! ” And he was acting all hurt now. Arthur was muttering about butchered language.

“Yea, it’s not like you forgot my name like eight times….. And forgot I existed two times…..”  
Alfred was trying to say something, but kind of failed. “I…. that was….. Arg…..Wh-..... You make good points. Good point. But i’m still upset you didn’t tell me.”  
Alfred was pouting. The rest of the nations were watching them now. “It just never came up. Sorry. I would have told you eventually. Hugs?” Alfred looked back over and wobbled his way to Matthew. He almost fell, but they hugged and well… Matthew guessed he was forgiven. Alfred went back to his skating match with Ivan afterwards, but not before giving Maarten a death glare and an unspoken threat. This was not what Matthew expected to happen during their “country bonding exercise”. Oh well…..

Maarten poked his arm. “So, most of the people are packing up and leaving now. Do you want to skate-dance-ish together. As in just together, no jumping?”  
“Yea. I don’t know about you, but jumping on skates seems just impossible.”  
“I know, but if we are going to do this slightly cheesy thing, I want to be sure we aren’t going to be closer acquainted with the ice.”

Yea, that would be bad, wouldn’t it? Maarten started skating, still holding his hand. For one moment one would lead, and the other one would take over after a while. It wasn’t that impressive. No difficult turns, jumps and moves. Just them one the ice. Together. Close.

And it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, it has been finished. I loved writing this story so much. Now the biggest bit of the story has been finished.... What am I going to do now? 
> 
> TAKE REQUESTS FOR NEDCAN OF COURSE!!!!
> 
> If you have any headcannons or scence you liked to see, leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do. :D
> 
> I'll be back
> 
> (Anyone interested in a mermaid/merman AU?)
> 
> OOOoooOOOh, I'll be back.
> 
> Until next time, guys!

**Author's Note:**

> So that was the first part, so everyone is caught up on where we are in history and where their relationship is at this point.  
> I hope you liked it.
> 
> I'm always up for headcannons about NedCan and information about Canada. Also just headcannons in general. If you have ideas for a scene, you can let me know.  
> If anyone stopped grammar or spelling errors let me know (I'm dyslextic).  
> Also, does anyone know little french words Francis could use. I'm terrible at French.
> 
> About the cheeck kisses. Usually it's for greetings only with strangers on birthdays or different meetings. Three goodbye kisses is for close family members only. At least, that's how it went in my family. It's always awkward, because you don't know if you have to go left or right... I hated it. Hugging is way better.
> 
> Feedback is appriciated and I like comments


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